Staying over
by Kitty go moo
Summary: Thrown out of the Inn, the only place Gray can turn to is his bff and secret crush Claire. Many emotions surface as the couple try to cope together.
1. I guess its our farm now

_So this is my first long fic. I have no idea how long it'll be. I know how I want it to end, but I don't know how much I'll put in between. Oh and just a note on the fact that sadly I will **not** be doing a sequel to like a teddy bear. If you want to know why, just check out my profile. Anyway, enjoy the story!_

_---_

"Gray? What's wrong?" My voice filled with worry as my best friend Gray, walked on to my farm dejectedly. What if he's depressed?

"I quit my job." He stated plainly. _What?!_

"You did _what_?!" I yelled.

He cringed. "Saibara and I had another fight."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shouted at you. Poor thing." I wrapped my arms around him.

"That's not all." He paused, "Doug won't let me stay at the Inn till I sort things out with the old man. And I can't talk to Saibara right now. I just _can't._" He looked at me hopefully. I realised what he wanted as soon as he finished speaking. Oh no. I want him to stay with me, but I don't know if I can afford it...

"Ah... I guess you could stay with me, until every thing is okay, but there is one condition..."

"What is it?" Gray asked desperately.

"You have to help me on the farm. I don't think I could afford to house you here with my current salary."

"I'll do _anything." _He answered.

"All right then, go get your bags." I sighed. His face lit up, and he practically skipped off my farm. Well, _our _farm now...

*****

Gray came holding a small suitcase. "That's it?" I asked.

"You'd be surprised by how much stuff I got in here." He grinned.

We came into my house. I'm glad that I fully upgraded it, and got the big bed. Otherwise, we wouldn't survive. Well, I guess Gray would sleep on the couch. But I would feel like a bad host.

Gray unzipped his suitcase, and as he had said, there was quite a bit in there. I helped him unload his toiletries into the new bathroom and cleared some space in my drawers for him to put clothes in. He had a few decoration things that we put in the shelf. I noticed there was still one container in his suitcase.

I reached out to touch it. "What's in the-" _Wack._ He slapped my hand back. I stared at him in shock.

"There's peanut butter, oreos and gold fish." I rolled my eyes. I should've known. Gray has always been protective of his food.

"You know Gray, I have those things too."

"I know, but this stuff is special." He said, subconsciously stroking the box.

"Whatever..."

Gray walked over to the TV and turned it on. He went through the channels fairly quickly. Why? _Because there are only four freaking channels._

"That's all you have?!" Gray groaned.

"Pretty much. BUT! I have a _radio!"_ I smiled enthusiastically. Gray just stared at me, like I was psycho or something...which is only somewhat true.

I glared, and pushed the on button, without breaking eye-contact. 'All the single ladies' by Beyonce came on. "I dare you to dance to this. It _will_ be fun." I challenged.

"You're on." Gray stood up and very humourously started swinging his hips. He knew it would make me laugh, and I didn't want to give him that satisfaction, so I pressed my lips together tightly. He started exaggerating the moves, which looked even funnier. A tear escaped, and I brushed it away. But I couldn't help laughing uncontrollably when he shook his butt expressively. He smirked as he continued dancing.

By the time the song ended, the chair I had collapsed on had tear stains on it. "See Gray, radios are awesome, even you are smiling." He grunted, a smile still tugging at his lips. Another song came on. I didn't recognize it, so I turned the radio off.

I yawned. "What time is it?"

"Seven. We should probably eat."

"Okay. I'll just make some kraft dinner, since I'm kind of tired."

"Sounds good to me." Gray turned to the TV.

I cooked quickly and set dinner on the table. "Dinner honey!" I teased.

"Okay, sugar plum, I'll be right there."

I giggled. "Sugar plum?"

"Meh, I read it somewhere."

We ate very quickly. Much to my embarrassment, I let out a large belch when I finished.

Gray chuckled. "In some countries, if you burp after a meal, it's a compliment."

"Okay, then." I said, not even bothering to ask where he found that. Probably in a book or something similar.

"Oh um, what are we doing about...sleeping arrangements?"

"We can share my big bed if you want." I said.

"Really?" Gray squealed happily. I nodded. "Yay!" He said and he ran to my bed and did a belly flop onto it. He snuggled into the warm and comfy covers.

"Honestly, Gray, you'd think you were five. Anyway, I'm going to go get changed and brush my teeth. If you want desert, I still have some of the cherry pie in the fridge." Gray nodded, and almost ran to the fridge, sorting through it madly. I sighed. Living with your best guy friend is tougher than it seems.

I changed into a brown oversized T-shirt, that went my mid-thigh.

"Your turn." I called to Gray, who had returned in front of the TV.

"Yeah, yeah." He picked some stuff out of his drawer.

I blushed furiously as he came back out of the bathroom, wearing only his boxers. As many times as I had seen him topless, it was breathless every time. His upper body is perfect, well toned and muscular. His legs were muscular as well, but they were quite fuzzy, so his legs were a bit more pale. And in between those two body sections, I knew nothing. We're really good friends but not _that_ good friends. I shivered.

"Get a shirt on." I joked.

"Get some pants on." He joined in, smirking.

"It's like a dress anyway!" I protested, tugging at the edge of the T-shirt.

"_Riiiiight."_ He said. He received a poke for that.

Gray went as far to the left on the bed as he could and I did the same on the right, but we were still very near each other. I have a feeling we'll wake up in some awkward position. It happened all the time when I was younger.

"G'night" Gray whispered, and turned off the bedside lamp.

"Night."

It was only two minutes before I heard some loud snoring.

_Oh no. What have I gotten myself into?_

_---_

_So there is the first chapter of Staying over! Let me know what you guys think of it. The next chapter will be in Gray's point of view. Thank you for reading it._


	2. Wake up tickles

_Yay! Second chapter already!! As promised it is in Gray's POV. I'm reasonably happy with this chapter, but I thought the farming part was a bit boring. I was so happy with the reviews I got that I started working on this chapter immediately afterwards. Thank you to those who have reviewed. Also, I would like to inform you guys that I won't be sending back responses to you. Seeing as I started getting non signed reviews, it would be better if I answered all reviews in the following chapters, unless I was answering a personal question. Anyway, enough rambling, ON WITH THE STORY!_

_Disclaimer: I have forgotten to do this so far... oops. I do not own Harvest Moon._

---

_A sea of faces were before me. Only one stuck out: Claire's. She was walking towards me. She smiled that adorable smile of hers and then sat down in front of me. I heard cymbals in the background and wondered, what are those for? I leant down and kissed her, and she kissed me back. And then Claire finally spoke. "Gray I lo-" _

"WAKE UP!!!!!!" a female voice screamed in my ear.

"Arghhh!" I yelled sitting up fast. My head was all fuzzy and confused from the sudden move. Through my still half closed eyes I saw Claire fully dressed, holding cymbals, and looking slightly pissed.

"Honestly, Gray! I've been trying to wake you up for ten minutes! I even used _cymbals._" she said.

"What time is it?" I asked, yawning.

"Six thirty." She stated plainly.

"Six thirty! Are you crazy, woman?! Let me sleep longer." I lay my head back down on the pillow.

"Oy, if you want to stay in here, and not become a creepy hobo, you better get your butt moving."

"But, I'm _tired_." I whined.

She let out a low growling sound before moving to the end of the bed. She tugged off the comforter. It was _freezing! _She started pulling on my feet, trying to drag me out of bed. I laughed. Claire may be strong, but she isn't strong enough to move me. I'm really heavy. Not cause I'm fat! Muscle weighs a lot.

Giving up, Claire moved back up towards me, and stretched out her arms towards me. "Hey, what are you- ahahahahahahaha!" I writhed underneath her fingers that were tickling me furiously. Sadly, as my best friend, she knew almost everything about me...including where I am most ticklish: my sides.

"F-fine! I'll g-get up! Just s-s-stop tickling meeeeeee!" I had trouble getting the words out as I was gasping for breath.

"Promise?" Claire said, stopping.

"Nope!" I smiled and pulled the comforter back on top of myself.

Claire muttered something under her breath and pulled the blanket off again before I could hang onto it, and resumed tickling me. "No? Are you sure Gray?"

"Y-yes-s, I promise!" I screamed.

"Good." She grinned.

"So _his _there_ hanything hi _can do_ for you?"_ I added on an 'h' to most words, so that I was breathing in her face. Ahhhh, morning breath.

"Urgh, disgusting Gray..." She crinkled her nose in disgust. "Go have a shower and get dressed while I make breakfast. We have a big day ahead of us."

"Fihne" I said, breathing in her face one last time. She stuck out her tongue at me and went into the kitchen.

I gathered my clothes and stepped into Claire's squeaky clean bathroom. It was simple, but kind of pretty at the same time. Like the rest of the house. Once in the shower I turned on the water.

"Ahhhhhhh!" I whimpered as cold water shot at me from all angles. I heard laughing in the kitchen. Curse you, Claire...

I was going to get out of the shower when I realised I had no towel. That's a problem. It's not like I can go and walk out in front of Claire in the nude and ask for a towel. What _can_ I do?

"Um... Claire? I need a towel..." I opened the door ever so slightly, barely enough to peek out.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I'll get one, just one moment." I heard some rustling around and then the door opened a crack and Claire's blushing face was seen for only a second, before a towel was pushed through.

"Thanks" I called through the door.

I got dressed in some light jeans and a red flannel shirt, matching the things that Claire was wearing. Yesterday, while she was waiting for me, I dropped by the supermarket, and got these, just so I could surprise Claire. She laughs at these kind of things.

As I walked out of the bathroom, the savory smell of bacon and eggs hit my nose. Mmm, bacon. Claire froze when she saw me. "Are you wearing my clothes?!" she asked incredulously, before giggling.

"Nope. I got these from the supermarket yesterday. It's a guy version of what you're wearing." She smiled before gesturing me to sit down in a chair.

Her smile reminded me of something in the back of my mind. I couldn't figure out what it was... Oh yeah, my dream. Why did I have a dream about my best friend? _Cause you like her_, a voice argued in my head. Do not. _Do to._ Do not._ Do to. _DO NOT! _DO TO! _ You know what, I don't care what you think. _Yes you do. Or at least you should. _Why? _Cause I'm your conscience. _ Oh. _Take that. _What if I don't want to. _You have to. I'm your conscience. _Who says? _Me. _Other than you? _... dude, just give in. _No!

"Gray, are you okay? You're making all these weird faces. Kind of as if you were an actor doing the role of two people." Claire interrupted my mind fight.

"N-no! I'm fine, I was just..." I didn't finish, and Claire stared at me before letting it drop.

Jaina, Claire's golden retriever, whimpered for some bacon. I took a bit off of a piece and threw it to her. I pat her head gently, before finishing my meal.

"That was good, thanks Claire." I said, helping her put the dishes away.

She mumbled a 'thanks', before pushing Jaina and I out the front door.

"All right, so here's the deal. I'm going to show you how everything works on my farm, and you can choose what you do. Okay?"

"Yeah." I said.

"First, I'll take you out, and show you the way I gather things to put in the bin."

We walked off her farm into the forest. "Here's where you get the blue grass. Make sure you cut it only mid-length so that it can grow again." She handed me scissors, and I cut it, as directed. She approved. "Put it in the bucket."

We then went to the waterfall. Ann and Popuri were there staring at the water cascading down. Ann noticed us first. "Oh. My. Gosh. You're twins!" She put on a look of horror, before smiling.

Popuri then noticed us. "Aw! You look so cute together!" I blushed, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Claire do the same. Why do people enjoy teasing us so much?

Claire was talking to them animatedly, but I tuned out her voice, and instead focused on her hair. It shimmered every time she moved her head. Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah. _Shimmer. _Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah. _Shimmer. _Blah. _Shimmer. Shimmer. _Blah Blah Blah. _Shimmer. _

"Blah?" My brain automatically inserted a Blah instead of what she actually said. Wait, she's talking to me. I snapped out of my trance. Claire's eyes were on me now, confused and a little creeped out. I guess I looked weird staring at her hair.

"Yeah?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Okay then, I have to show you how to take care of the animals." We waved to our companions, and returned to her farm. "The chickens will probably hate you for a bit, as they did to me, but after two days they start loving you. Watch out, they _will_ peck you."

We stepped into the chicken coop and I saw eight chickens running around in circles. Stupid birds. _Peck._ I felt a stab in my leg.

"Ow!"

"Told you." Claire said.

A chicken suddenly attacked me in the face. I know that sounds stupid, but it really happened. You see, it was a magical chicken. Wait, no. It just happened to be able to fly. I thought chickens didn't fly!

I growled as the chicken knocked off my hat. "You little..." When I tried to move the chicken, it squawked in alarm and all the other chickens turned to me with hate in their evil eyes. _Uh oh._ I ran out of the chicken coop screaming like a little girl. Claire finished feeding them and soon followed, covering her mouth, trying not to laugh.

Claire showed me how to milk her cows, shear her sheep, brush them, and bring them outside. Her horse, Streak, was at least familiar with me, and did not have any death wishes. She didn't need to show me how to help her on the field, I had already helped her before. It was easy for a strong man like me.

"There's honey in that tree." Claire informed me as we walked up to a small tree. "Watch out for the bees." I, being very stupid ignored her, and shoved my hand in. And as I pulled it out, what looked like a million bees crawled everywhere on my hand. By the time they had all gone off I had a few stings.

Claire gave me a disappointed look and I smiled tentatively. She wouldn't stay mad at me long. She can't. Why? Cause I'm irresistible. Well, not really. But I could be!

We ate lunch quietly while listening to Claire's radio. This time I made Claire dance. A song came on, and the only way to dance to it was the belly dance. So there was my best friend, doing a belly dance, in farmer clothes. She attempted to smile seductively. The weird thing about that is that well... I did find it seductive. Do these thing happen to other people? I chuckled as she did the last bit as if it were club music. Her moves didn't go with the song, on purpose, and she laughed, knowing she looked like an idiot. People would wonder about us if they chose to come onto Claire's farm more often.

We went back out and worked on the field until five, and returned inside, where we took turns showering. I made sure I had my towel before I started.

*****

"Want to have pizza and watch a movie?" Claire proposed. She was in her night dress thingy again. It was far too high up her legs for my comfort. Honestly, was she trying to kill me or something?

"Sure." We watched pink panther together. It was really funny. Especially the 'damberger' part. Claire quickly made chocolate cake and cut each of us pieces. I was surprised by how fast she made it. We ate it almost as fast as she made it.

"So Gray, what do you want to do?" Claire asked, putting down her fork.

"I think I'll mine, fish, and help you on the field. I don't really want to spend to much time around your animals, and I won't remember the location of the herbs."

"Okay" Claire agreed.

We scraped out plates into the garbage, and brushed out teeth.

"I do hope that I won't have to repeat the whole tickling process in the morning." She grumbled as we climbed into bed.

"I'm not promising anything." I smiled lightly, and fell into a deep sleep.

---

_So what did you think? Did it suck? Was it good? Let me know :) _


	3. House wife

_I'm so sorry it took so long! But I will explain! I moved into a new house. The internet does not work upstairs, and the only computer we can bring downstairs is the computer I work on. Updates will be slower than I would like them to be. Also this chapter is much small than it should be, after all the wait. I'm sorry again. Hopefully the quality makes up for it? Just joking. But the next chapter is already under construction. I just need to steal the laptop long enough to finish it ;)_

_Thank you to my reviewers! I love you all so much! =D_

_**xo-emma-ox: **__Yes, it does seem a lot like they're married. It's like married life, without the kissing. But don't worry, kissing will come soon!_

_**HookedOnAvatar011: **__Gray won't admit he likes her yet, but it will be there in the next 5 chapters!_

**Shimmerleaf: **_Magical chickens are wonderful aren't they? Haha. I was a bit hesitant about putting in Claire dancing too, because I thought it might be a bit repetitive. I'm happy that I put it in now._

**Icefire149:**_ Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy the cuteness._

**Tinkies: **_It's quite fun to write in Gray's POV. I think I'll put the next chapter in his POV as well. His thoughts on the next event will be quite...interesting... *evil smile*_

**Chocobo86: **_ I'm happy that you love my story so much!_

_I do not own Harvest Moon_

_-----_

I felt something against my face. It was warm, kind of soft, and yet hard at the same time. I also felt something touching my butt. Was it my dog? I moved my hand and touched it. Nope, definitely not my dog. It felt like...hands. Ew, who was touching my butt? I opened my eyes and received a face-full of chest. I automatically gasped, before remembering Gray was staying with me. His arms were wrapped around me and I was against his chest. Well, at least it wasn't as bad as yesterday. It was like today except his face was in _my_ chest.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. _My alarm went off. I pushed the button and lay back down. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I turned to Gray. He looked so peaceful, and happy. I wondered what he was dreaming about.

"Claire..." Gray moaned. I jumped and quickly looked away, so he wouldn't be creeped out by me staring at him, but then he was silent. Huh? I turned back to him and realised he was still asleep. He was dreaming...about me? Weird...but then again, I've done much weirder things...such as climbing on an Inn table to sing the barbie girl song, refusing that anyone take me down, except for when Gray offered chocolate.

I wrapped my house coat around myself and went to the kitchen to start making pancakes. I had plenty of time, since it was Friday. I occasionally take Fridays off, and hire the sprites to do my work, so I can go out and see my friends. I poured the batter in the pan and watched it cook. Jaina was hovering nearby hoping for something to magically fall from the table. Jaina was still somewhat of a puppy. Gray and I had bought her from Barley when his dog Hannah was gave birth to puppies. I pat her head and returned to watching the pancakes.

"Claire, stop it!" I turned to see Jaina now licking Gray's face enthusiastically.

"Oh, god, Jaina _no!" _ I whispered furiously. Jaina looked up at me with her amber eyes. A smile tugged at my lips as I tried to resist her puppy charms. Meanwhile, Gray was sitting up on his elbows, looking around.

"Um, Claire?" Gray called out. "I'm right here Gray." I answered from the Kitchen. My thoughts wandered to what Gray had said when Jaina licked his face. _Claire, stop it!_ Why did he think it was _me?_ Do I lick his face on a regular basis? I think not!

"Whatcha making?" He interrupted my thoughts.

"Pancakes." Right on cue, Gray's stomach grumbled. I laughed while he blushed.

I sighed as I continued watching the half cooked pancakes. "I feel like a freaking house-wife." I muttered.

"Yeah, you kind of look like one too," Gray smiled looking at my house coat, "just missing the weird face mask and the hair curlers."

"I think you are referring to a horror movie, not a house-wife. And, do you realize that if I am a wife, you're the husband. So where's _your_ bath robe and newspaper?"

"Touche" Gray chuckled.

Finally the pancakes finished. "Here you go, _hubby."_ I put a plate down in front of him.

"Thank you..." Gray thought of a word. "_honey." _he finally finished.

"So did you sleep well?" I asked.

"Yeah, but I woke up in the middle of the night without covers. Same as the other night." I whistled innocently, avoiding eye contact.

*****

_Clip_

"Ew Gray, what are you doing?" I asked, a towel wrapped around my head.

"Clipping my nails?" He looked confused. _Clip_

"On my rug?!"

_Clip _"Um, yeah? So what?"

He clipped again, and it went flying into the air, missing my nose narrowly. It set me off. "MY CARPET'S ALL ICKY NOW THAT'S WHAT!"

"Sorry..."

"Urgh, sorry Gray but it's kind of disgusting... You know how I am about cleanliness. Could you do it in the bath tub or something? Just make sure you clean up." I swept one last disapproving look over the bathroom before leaving and quickly visiting my animals to make them happy.

I stepped back into the house and saw Gray, sitting on a chair, fiddling with his hands, still looking like a hurt puppy. I felt guilty. I sighed and took his hand, leading him to the bathroom.

"Look, I'm sorry. I just...don't like it when things are dirty in my house. I have a lot of gross things to deal with outside. But that still doesn't give me reason to yell at you. So, to make it up to you, I will...clip my nails on the carpet and leave it there for the rest of the day." I shuddered at the thought of doing it. But I would do anything to keep Gray happy. He's my best friend.

"Really?" Gray asked, shock evident in his tone and face.

I sighed. "Yes..."

*****

I stared at the nail clippings, wanting so badly to clean it up. I reached towards them, and then pulled back. And then I reached again-

"Claire, you promised." Gray reminded me. I nodded, and left the room, so I didn't think about it. Gray followed me out.

"So Gray, you want to go to the Inn? I need to talk to Ann."

"Whatever."

We walked to the Inn, and once there I when straight ahead towards Ann's room and Gray sauntered upstairs to talk to Cliff.

"Claire!" An over-excited voice rang out, right before Ann jumped on me.

"Gosh Ann, you'd think I've been gone for years." She grinned sheepishly. "Listen, I need a favor. You know how, like you, I'm obsessive about cleaning up in my house?" she nodded, "Well, I got mad at Gray for clipping his nails on my rug-"

"Ew!" Ann exclaimed.

"I know, right? I yelled at him, and then I felt guilty and I agreed that I would clip my nails on the rug." Ann gasped, "And I really, really, really, _really,_ want to clean it up but I'm not allowed to! But he never said no one else couldn't do it and if you could-"

"Don't worry, I'll clean it" Ann said seriously. "Sooooo, let's talk girl's night. You said it would be at your house this weekend."

My jaw dropped. "Oh my gosh, I totally forgot! But Gray's staying with me, so it wouldn't really work and-"

"Oh, don't worry, I'm sure we can accommodate that..." Ann smirked and I paled at the thought of what she might be planning to do to Gray. Anything was possible with her. She could have literal torture. The only guy she restrained herself around was Cliff. She clung to Cliff as if her life depended on it. It was surprising that he remained clueless to her feelings towards him.

"O-okay," I said uneasily.

"Can they all come?" I asked.

"Of course. They'll_ want_ to come, trust me."

"What do you want to do?" I was getting really worried about her plans.

"Watch a movie, play games, eat, the usual." Ann answered casually, flicking her braid.

"What movie and games?"

"I heard 'Angus, thongs and perfect snogging' is a good movie. We'll play monopoly or something like that." I let out a sigh of relief, because she didn't mention anything about Gray. "Oh and we can't talk real girl stuff since _he_ is there... But, we could have a little, ahhh..._fun _with your best friend." Her diabolic smile spread wider. Crap.

I watched Gray come down the stairs, smiling, not knowing that he was close to a certain death at Ann's hand._ Oh Gray...poor, poor, Gray... He's too young to die!_

_-----_

_Three chapters down, don't know how many to go! Tell me what you thought of this chapter! Reviews are appreciated!_


	4. Grace

_Yay! CH 4 already! I thought it would take longer... I managed to sneak onto the computer! I think this is my longest chapter yet! So you guys are lucky ;) Hopefully the next chapter comes soon... but I think I'm going to work on a oneshot first, to take a break from this. I did this chapter in different POV's where I thought it would be better in a certain perspective. Hope it's okay!_

_Thank you to my reviewers, whom I love so much XD_

**_Icefire149: Well, here is a peek into Ann's thoughts!_**

_**Shimmerleaf:** Hope you like the way Ann torture's Gray_

_**Tinkies: **I purposefully made Claire exaggerate a bit... Just so I could have them have a mini fight. :)_

_**Evilgiggles13: **Thank you, I can't wait to see what you thought of this chapter._

_I do not own Harvest Moon._

_-----_

Claire's POV

I glanced over at Gray nervously. I opened my mouth to say something, but soon after I snapped it shut, just as I had been doing ever since we returned from the Inn. He looked at me curiously, but said nothing as well. I stared down at my plad pajama pants, thinking about what to do.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore and blurted out: "Gray, run! Run far, or you will face a dreadful death!"

He stared at me dumbly "What?"

"Ann." That one word said it all. He looked horrified.

"W-what's going to happen?" Gray whispered.

"You know how it's girls night? Ann is coming in 5 minutes."

"Crap. _Crap. _Crap! CRAP!" He panicked.

"There's still time to escape! You can just sneak out the door right now and she'll never know!" We ran to the door and frantically tried to unlock the door.

_Ding! Dong!_ The doorbell rang. We froze. Gray mouthed '_What do I do?'._

"Turn on the water in the bathroom, I'll pretend you're showering." I whispered.

"Thank you!" He tip toed to the bathroom.

Gray's POV

The voices outside of the bathroom door were slightly drowned out by the running water of the shower. I sat down on the plastic bench right beside the shower. I wasn't going to actually shower; that would be going over board. I cringed at the sound of Ann yelling. Must have found out that I was not available for torture.

And then I heard her voice getting closer to the door. _Oh no, please, no!_ "I don't care if he's in the shower! He's coming out _now_." I gasped. Before I could climb into the shower, a livid Ann had banged down the door and was standing in the doorway. A vicious smile spread across her face as her searching eyes found me.

"Why hello, Gray. Surprised to find you here...showering." Claire was standing behind her shaking her pretty head.

"I was uhhhh...I was warming up the water! Now if you could please-" I started pushing her out the door.

"You look fine to me Gray. Quit hiding like a scared puppy and get out here." She dragged me out the door and pulled out a pair of pajamas from my drawer, and made me go and change into them. As I changed into the plad pants and the white shirt she had given me, I thought about all the different ways I could run away. I could just tackle her and run but then she would track me down. Hmm...

As I came back out of the room I had been shoved into, Ann spoke once more. "Now we wait for the girls to arrive. And then...the entertainment begins!" As she finished, I was half expecting her to break out into a maniacal laugh. Shockingly, she didn't. She must have been saving it for later.

The girls arrived one by one in their pajamas, until all but one invitee had yet to arrive.

"Hey Mary!" Ann and Claire greeted their last guest. Or rather, second last guest.

"Oh, hello! I brought along someone Claire, to um...help with the situation." Claire smiled gratefully at the kind librarian.

Through the door came my hero, my saviour, my one true lo-, wait no, not the last bit. Through the door came Cliff.

Ann's POV

Cliff? What was he doing here?

Dammit! There go my supah-dupah-mega-ultra-awesome-ingenious plans! I can't do anything evil with Cliff around... I quickly composed myself and smiled at Cliff pleasantly. "Hello Cliff! How are you today?"

"I'm fine. How are you?" He said, without stuttering. Recently, he had been finally coming out of his shell.

"Just peachy." I said, glaring at Gray as Cliff turned. He was saved from my wrath...for now. He doesn't realise that it'll just make it worse later.

"I think it's time to get this party started!" Claire said.

We pulled out the board games and played monopoly for a short while, before we got bored and decided we'd play truth or dare. For foiling my plans, either Gray, Claire, or Mary were going to get what was coming to then.

"I go first!" I called. I stared at the fearful trio. To get the best out of my truth or dare, I would have to try to get two of them involved. Gray and Claire were the perfect targets.

"Gray. Truth or Dare?"

He eyed me suspiciously. "Truth."

I had been hoping he would pick dare, but I couldn't change his choice. I stared around the room thinking. And then I saw the bed. Perfect. "Do you and Claire sleep with each other?" All the girls giggled, except for Claire, who was assuming the colour of a cherry.

Gray paled and blushed at the same time, leaving his face looking rather blotchy. "N-no! Not..._th-that_ way. In the same bed yes, but not...you know..."

*****

As we moved pillows around for watching the movie, I desperately thought of a way to get Cliff out of Claire's house, so that Gray had no protection. But as if my silent prayers were answered, Cliff suddenly declared that he was tired and that he needed to go home.

Gray's face contorted into utter despair as he watched his only hope fade into the night. Claire and Mary glanced at Gray anxiously. Karen and Elli looked confused.

"Now...the real fun begins!" I smiled dryly, and walked over to Claire's kitchen. I picked up the biggest knife I could find and let loose an evil cackle. Everyone gasped.

"Just joking." I muttered simply. "I was just doing it for the effect. You know I'm not that mean...right?!" They avoided my demanding glare.

"Ummm... yeah! Sure Ann! We all know you wouldn't..." Claire said not very convincingly.

I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, I was just thinking...what if Gray becomes Grace."

Karen, Mary, Elli and Claire smiled. "That could be fun." Karen said.

"No! Please! Mercy! I swear I'll never steal the fresh cherry pies out of the oven again! It was 4 years ago!!"

"Too late. We've already agreed." And with that, we pulled out accessories and make-up.

*****

Gray's POV

I stared bemusedly into the mirror that had been placed in front of me, so that I could see how they were disfiguring my face.

"Should we try to use this hair paint on his-um, I mean her-hair?" Elli suggested as she touched my red hair. The females all nodded in approval.

"Blonde should look good on Grace" Claire grinned. I scowled. She was going to pay for it later.

Elli hummed to herself happily as she gelled my hair into a hair style that looked like her cousin's, Angela. My hair was a bit shorter than it should be for that style but somehow, Elli pulled it off. Then they sprayed my hair a colour almost identical to Claire's. Once my hair was finished, Karen applied make up. She put some shimmery eye shadow on my eyes, light blush on my cheeks, and lipstick (who's, I don't know). She even applied mascara. I shuddered as I looked in the mirror. A blacksmith should _not_ look like picked out some lovely (urgh) earrings with hearts.

Suddenly, I realised that my shirt was being pulled off. Claire giggled as she pulled out a lace-trimmed bra.

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! I am a MAN! I need to be _MANLY_! I have an ego here! Spare me!" I wriggled so they couldn't put it on.

"Excuse me, _Grace,_ but we _need_ to put this on..._SO STOP FIDGETING_!" Ann screamed.

I sighed in defeat. I didn't know what was weirder. The fact that I was wearing a bra, stuffed with paper towel, or the fact that this was _Claire's_ bra, stuffed with paper towel.

Next thing I knew, I was in a pink tank top, and a white frilly skirt. I stared shamefully into the mirror in front of me.

Ann smirked and pulled out a camera. "You look simply..._lovely_."

*****

All the girls stood in front of me, their hair done up and their make up on.

"So who's the prettiest girl in the room?" Karen asked me, grinning.

I stared between the girls, unsure who to pick. Any choice would create a small fight. Then the idea hit me. "Me."

Claire caught on first, and laughed her head off, followed by the other girls. Once everyone had regained their composure, Elli said, "Are we going to watch Angus, thongs, and perfect snogging?"

"Yup" Claire cheerily put in the DVD, and we all settled onto the couch. I was between Claire and Mary.

The movie went pretty well, until the moment 'Robbie' came up. The main problem was that he was being called a sex god. I mean, what the heck? The second problem was that all the girls sighed dreamily.

"Are you serious? He's still in school! He's waaayyy too young for you!" I said.

"A girl can dream!" Mary sighed, her mind in another dimension.

"You're just jealous." Claire grinned at me, knowing fully how much I was _not_ jealous.

I had nothing to say back, so the movie continued. I shifted uncomfortably as the girls in the movie were talking about their...chest area. How many times that came up, I don't know, but it was _way_ too much. As 'George the laugh' (is he really that funny?!) talked about noticing a girl's 'nunga nungas' (a name for boobs that the sick idiot came up with) first, instead of their eyes, all the girl's eyes involuntarily shifted towards me. They were probably thinking: are guys really that perverted? The answer is yes. At least, for Kai.

I rolled my eyes at the cheesy ending of the movie. I looked over to Claire and noticed that she was smiling way more than she should have been. Weird...

Since everyone was staying over, we all slept on the floor to be fair. We were arranged strangely to fit into Claire's living room. Claire was beside me, Mary's feet were very close to my head, Elli kept accidently brushing my feet with her arm, and Karen was trying to squish herself between Mary and the couch. I almost laughed when I realised how uncomfortable everyone was. But before I could say anything, the girls started gossiping about everything, and saying how cute Robbie was. I muttered "women..." under my breath a few times.

Ann turned towards me suddenly, cutting off all conversation. "We are about to talk about guys from here. If you tell _anyone_ outside of this room, anything about what we are about to say, I will show everyone your pictures, and throw you off of the mountain. I would torture you first, but seeing as you are Claire's best friend, I will _try_ to hold back. Note, _try_. So watch it mister."

"Okay?" I muttered, a bit scared of the things Ann was threatening to do. What could really be that bad?

"Cliff is hot." Ann suddenly declared. Oh... _that bad._

"No way! Kai is wayyyyy hotter."

"Nuhuh. Doctor is the hotest." Elli said.

"Pshhhh, you ain't seen hot till you've seen Chase." Mary said.

"Oh my goddess. Why would you think _they_ are hot, when you've got _me_ around?" I joked.

"You gotta admit, Gray _is _pretty damn hot. Show us your muscles!" Claire grinned. If only she were serious...

I smiled, and flexed. "That looks kind of wrong. Mainly because you are dressed as a girl." Karen muttered.

"One moment, I need to go to the bathroom..." I sneaked off, and rubbed off as much make up as possible, and stealing back my pajamas. The only problem was that the lipstick was sticking (so _that's_ why they call it lipstick) and the mascara wouldn't come off. It was waterproof. I groaned, but there was nothing I could do about it. I found the lipstick that they had inflicted upon me, and put it on excessively, so I kind of looked like the joker from batman.

Satisfied with what I had done, I stalked out of the bathroom and jumped into the middle of the circle of chatting girls. I laughed like a lunatic while they screamed.

"Gotcha." Everyone grumbled as they realised it was just me.

Eventually everyone got tired of talking and we got back into our own sleeping bags. Just as Claire was turning off the light, she grinned. "You know, you looked kind of cute as a girl." A series of giggles erupted from the different corners of the room. I glared and pulled the sleeping bag higher.

"Good night."

-----

_I hope you liked this chapter!_


	5. Beaches, Acids, and Sounds

**I AM SOOOOOO SOOOOO SOOO SORRY! This took way long than it should have... but I've had a lot going on. Don't have so much time on the computer anymore... D'you forgive me?**

**I shall now answer your reviews, that pleased me so so so so so so much! :D I feel like doing tons of happy faces right now! Ha ha!**

**Icefire149: I'm glad you thought it was so funny :)**

**Wyla: It'd be pretty interesting if it were real XD**

**shiro-chan x bed-wtter-momo: thanks! I love modifying peoples names into something similar but funny! :)**

**chocobo86: I'm so happy you liked it! :D**

**Shimmerleaf: Yeah, it might be bad. But you never know, Gray also might enjoy being fussed over my a group of girls ;)**

**xo-emma-ox: Haha, I blurt things out too! I get a lot of weird looks. :P And the reason I was updating so fast before was because I had a laptop, all to myself! But my brother took it away! *grumble***

**GreenOpalus: Yeah, I can see Cliff as a girl! He already has the hair for it! :P no offense to Cliff or people who like Cliff... I think long hair is okay :P**

**And for those who didn't review but read my story so far, thank you too!**

**Anyway, enough talk, on to chapter 5! (I do not own Harvest Moon, even though I want to)**

-----

Claire's POV

The girls left at 6:00 in the morning. Gray and I went back to sleep.

*************

I stepped onto the field and looked around suspiciously. Something was missing... But I couldn't quite figure out what. And then... it hit me. Literally.

"CLAREBEARZ!" A hyper Gray lay sprawled on me.

"Ow! Gray, do you mind?!?!?!" I tried to push him off me, not succeeding in it.

"Haha, now that you mention it, I don't."

"Kay, um Gray, I know that you like have this special feeling for me, and you wanna be on top of me, cause it makes you feel dominant or something, but you seriously gotta get OFF." I teased.

He blushed thoroughly, and lifted his weight off of me. "Sorry...will all these fish I caught make up for it?" And he held up a HUGE bag of fish... at least 100.

"Whoa, Gray how the hell did you manage to get all that? It's only 11:30!"

"Eh, lets just say I'm an amazing hot guy with incredible talents." He waggled his eyebrows "... or not." He finished, seeing my expression. I giggled.

"Hey do you want to go to the beach? Seeing as its the start of summer and all... we haven't visited Kai yet. And we can go swimming!" Gray exclaimed.

"Sure!" I smiled, enthusiastic about the afternoon.

We took turns getting changed in the bathroom. I was wearing a black and pink bikini (a gift Popuri gave me for my birthday last year) and Gray was wearing plain black swim shorts. I packed a picnic basket with sandwiches and cookies.

"TO THE BEACH!" We laughed, and ran to the beach. As we whizzed by, I saw a smiling Saibara, Rick staring lovingly at his chickens, Lillia having some medicine, May playing with Hannah, and Barley looking a bit unhappy, whom we almost ran over in our haste to get to the beach.

Gray's POV

On the beach, Kai sat near the water with Popuri, both clad in swim wear. "Hey!" I called over to them.

"Yo! Wazzup people?" Kai yelled, trying to be like a gangster... which didn't really work, since he was smiling really goofily. Typical Kai...

"Hi Kai, hi Popuri." Claire said. Kai hugged Claire a little too long for my liking. It was like he was holding her hostage in his arms. Tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock... DID HE JUST WINK AT ME?!?!?!?!?! Ohh... he was going to pay.

"Hey Popuri, I haven't seen you in like... days..."

"But Gray, I saw you yester-" Popuri started, confused. "No..." I said. I grinned, and hugged her tightly looking at Kai, who's face turned turned scarlet with anger.

"Wow Claire, did you get a tan while I was away?" Kai tried to act surprised, and started stroking her arms. Claire shifted uncomfortably. Okay, thats it, I give up. I am NOT molesting Popuri. Even though she was my age, if I ever did more than hug her, I would feel like a pedophile.

I moved so I was facing Claire instead of Kai. She gestured for me to help him get off of her.

"Whoa, Kai, look at that hot chick over there!!" I gasped and pointed towards the stairs leading to the town square.

"Whaaa?" Kai let go of Claire, and jumped up to see whoever the hot chick was. He was dismayed to find that the "hot chick" was only a sign post. He grumbled, while Popuri looked at him disapprovingly. Pop and Kai made a good couple, but it was pretty obvious that she disapproved of his flirting with other women.

"So... you want to go swimming with us?" Claire asked. She was answered by two excited "yes!".

We jumped into the water off the dock, splashing each other. We swam a lot underwater, and tried doing tricks. We had a few contests, and I won a few of them... handstands, underwater back flips, etc.

"First one to the rock out there and back is a rotten egg!" Of course, I was the farthest, so I was struggling to catch back up. I was already somewhat tired from all the fishing I did... Claire had some vicious fishes in there! I used up a lot of my energy getting to the rock, and I was still behind. My right leg caught on the rock and started bleeding. I started to get a little light headed, and my head accidentally ducked underwater a few times. The current was pushing me away from the shore. "Claire!" I yelled. I could see I was still a couple meters away from the dock.

"Gray?!?" A worried voice yelled back, and I saw a splash nearby. I went below the surface for a few seconds, and saw a swish of golden hair. Small hands gripped my torso, trying to push me up. I was above the surface again. I forced my tired muscles to swim a bit farther... and then I blacked out.

******************

Bright lights are BURNING MY EYES!!! I opened my eyes to daylight and choked on some water that was in my lungs. I was still on the beach. My head was on Claire's lap and she was gently stroking my wet hair, a worried look on her face.. I should do this more often. Just kidding! Wait why an I apologizing to myself?

"Thanks" I muttered in a raspy voice. Kai and Popuri were peering at me from the side.

"You're welcome Gray... I was so worried..." Claire started softly, but her voice got louder with anger. "Don't EVER do that again! Do you know how scared I was?!?! You need to take better care of yourself! I know I sound like your mother or something, but it's because I care about you... I was terrified." She looked near tears.

"I-I'm sorry." Why wouldn't my voice go back to normal!? I sat up a bit and took her face in my hands. "I really am. I... didn't think that it would be that hard after all the work today... And I'm sorry to you, Kai and Popuri, too. I've probably scared you, too. Do you forgive me?"

They all nodded. "Claire, you should probably take Gray to the clinic to get something for his throat." Popuri noted.

Claire thanked them for the nice day, and we walked to the clinic.

"So... you and Popuri, huh?" Claire finally broke the silence. I could tell she was trying to act like she didn't care. Was she jealous?

"Whaaaa? Me and Popuri?" I laughed. "I was just doing that to get back at Kai." SHNAP. That's kinda giving the fact that I like her away.

"For what?" Claire seemed genuinely serious. I thought I was obvious, but then again this was Claire we were talking about... I didn't really want to have to tell her that I was jealous. I was trying to figure out a way to answer...And you know what happened? Cliff, my saviour, my hero, came by and stopped to say hi, and Claire completely forgot about her question. SAVED AGAAAAIN! I should get him a present, cause he's been freaking amazing.

"'Ere ve are monsieur! Vould you like some uh... 'ow do you say... ahh, oui, troat syrup for your troat?" Claire held open the door for me.

I laughed and answered in a very bad french accent "Oui, madame!".

The doctor looked up to the sound of our laughter. "HI CLAIRE! Hi... Gray..." Is it just me, or did I get a different type of greeting?

"Um... hi doctor. Gray has a bit of a throat problem... could you get some throat syrup to make him feel better?" Claire asked.

"Certainly." He disappeared somewhere and came back with a brown bottle. "Here you are..." And he handed it to Claire, who read the label. Her eyebrows shot up.

"Why did you give us some weird type of acid?" Claire asked. For some reason, I felt like this wasn't an accident based on the glares I was getting from the doctor. It was pretty obvious he had the hots for her. Poor Elli, being with him all day.

Doctor tried to look shocked. "Why, I don't know how I ended up giving you this! It was an accident, the bottles are so similar..." He came back with a white bottle. Similar, my butt!

As we turned to leave with the proper stuff, Doctor called after us.

Claire's POV

I raised my eyebrows at the brown bottle he had handed me. "Why did you give us some weird type of acid?" I noticed Doctor shooting some dark glares at Gray. Was this on purpose? Creepy...

Horrified, Doctor said. "Why, I don't know how I ended up giving you this! It was an accident, the bottles are so similar..." When he returned he had a white bottle in his hands. I didn't see any similarities, and I was going to say something but I decided to let it drop. I'll just get out of here fast...

"Wait! Claire, can I have a word with you?" Doctor yelled from his desk, his face red.

I turned and walked back to him, leaving Gray by the door, who was running his hands through his red hair, tapping his foot. "Yes?" I asked.

"Um. Well, I was... wondering... if you would... like to have lunch... with me tomorrow?" His face got redder than I thought possible.

"Sure, but can I bring Gray along?"

"Well, I was thinking that it would be just you and me... like a date..." he trailed off.

"Oh, I'm flattered, Doctor, but I don't... feel that way for you. So I guess I won't go..."

"Ok, Ok, fine. Gray can come." Doctor sighed. Feeling awkward, I left without saying bye. I tugged Gray out the door, who seemed pleased for no reason. Whatever makes him happy...

Gray's POV

Haha, Sucker! I watched Doctor stare after Claire longingly. As I shut the clinic door, I offered Elli a wave, and stuck my tongue out at doctor. I never did see how he reacted because Claire pulled me out the door.

We walked home, a comfortable silence this time.

We ate, and talked for a bit, but too soon, it was time to sleep.

"Hey Gray, look what I got!" Claire seemed pretty damn excited... what made her soooo happy? She came out with a box covered with a white table cloth. "This... is... the..." She did a drum-roll on the box. "SOUND MAKER FOR SLEEPING!" She revealed a radio like thing.

"Uhhhhh... what?" I was seriously confused.

"It makes relaxing sounds like the ocean, or the rain forest! Isn't that cool?" She smiled.

"Uhhhuh, yup, totally awesome." Okayyy then. I slowly backed away and brushed my teeth. When I came back, she had the sound-maker all set up, and she was sitting in bed, eyes closed. Claire looked so beautiful, with her hair spread around her head like that... She opened her eyes, and pat the bed.

"Come on, Gray? You just gonna stand there, like a zombie?" She giggled. I lay down on the bed. "Oops. Forgot to turn on the sound maker... could you press one of the buttons?" I pressed the one labeled "Rain forest". "Try another one. That one is kind of annoying" She said. Personally, I had the feeling they were all going to be annoying. I pressed the button that was supposed to be the ocean.

"This okay?"

"Yup." She answered. So I turned off the lights, and snuggled under the covers.

"_WSHHHHHHH WSHHHHHHHHH WSHHHHHHH_" The sound maker had waves crashing against each other. I stared at the clock: 12:47. Why can't I get to sleep? Oh yeah, there's a stupid machine making sounds on the night table. Frustrating sounds. If that stupid seagull caws one more time... "_Caw_!"

I looked to Claire, who's eyes were open too. "You wanna turn the damn thing off?"

"Hell yeah."

-----

**Haha! So there's the chapter you've all been waiting for! :P Hope you enjoyed it! Please review... I'll try to update sooner next time!**


	6. Friendly gathering or date?

_**:O I am shocked by how long this took me. I am soooo sorry! But hey, it's done now! :D**_

_**I realised recently that the story has evolved a bit, in a way I hadn't expected. Originally, I was going to have them both have really weird things that they do... but if I kept with the annoying habits, the story would be way to short. So I'm modifying it a bit, so that it's more about the fact that they live together, and that they happen to fall for each other. Sorry for those who liked it better before.**_

_**Anyways, there is going to be a bit of a brother and sister family moment in here... I'm adding more character's love problems in to give the story more... uh... depth? So yeah, I'm just trying to make it more ~*interesting*~ and ~*dramatic*~ ! :D**_

_**Thank you for reviewing! It inspired me so much! I probably wouldn't be done till 2011 without you guys! Well, not that long... but you get my point, right? :)**_

_**shiro-chan x bed-wetter-momo :** Thank you! It was fun writing that part!_

_**Shimmerleaf :** Hehe, it would be quite fun... :D_

_**Tinkies:** I've never heard of a nature CD... sounds cool. You might just find what you're looking for... :) And sorry this wasn't as soon as possible xP_

_**Crystal.122296:** I'm glad you appreciate the humor... but no, Gray is not gay XD How about we just say that Gray is in touch with his female side...? Kidding! I'm just trying to make it funny, which, now I think about it, can cause some questions about Gray... but don't worry Gray is not gay! He loves Claire! :P_

_**Icefire149:** Thank you! Yup, jealousy can be interestingly entertaining. :D_

*****

Ann's POV

My heart was beating fast as I neared Cliff's room. Would he like me? Would he say no? I knocked, and felt my heart flutter as Cliff opened the wooden door.

"H-h-hi, Cliff." I smiled at his drowsy face. "Can I come in?"

"Suuure." Cliff muttered, yawning. He scratched his long brown hair and looked at me curiously. "What did you want?"

"Um... well... you see... ." I said all quickly and breathed in deeply.

"What?" Cliff asked.

"I uh... really, really like you. Do you?" There. It's done.

"I'm sorry Ann, I really am. But you're just like a sister to me. I like Popuri. Sorry." Cliff said awkwardly.

My heart practically split in two. For so long, I've loved this mysterious calm boy, hoping he felt the same way. And now, I find out he doesn't like me. I flew from the room, tears poring down my face. I'd never been rejected before. But then again, I've never really loved before either. I sobbed into my arms in my room for a while, before cleaning myself up, and forcing myself to go out and work. It was going to be a long day. And I had to talk to my brother.

"Who would love a chirpy pink pompom haired girl anyway!?" I sighed angrily.

Claire's POV

I put the sound maker back in its box first thing this morning. It might be fun to play with some time, or if I'm trying to annoy Gray, but there is NO FREAKING WAY I am EVER sleeping with that stupid machine of doom running ever again. E-VER.

But anyways, because of the sound maker having kept me up, I was so tired. I got up, ate something, and went back to bed. Slept in till 2:00. Gray, being the lazy idiot that he is, slept the whole time anyways. I wonder if I never woke him up, he'd sleep on forever... And that would make sense, because I bet Cliff woke him up before...No seriously! I'm not crazy I swear! I'm just trying to... convince myself? And talking to myself in the process? Uh oh, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?!?!?!? Okay, calm down, Claire. Just caaalm down. For some reason I was in a dramatic mood...

I heard a yawn beside me as Gray stretched and woke up.

"Dang. There goes my last theory."

"Whaa?" Gray looked at me through half-open eyes.

"Nothin'."

"Hey, don't you have a d-d-d-date with doctor?" He stifled a yawn.

"Oops. And it's not a date! It's a... friendly gathering. You were supposed to go too!" I said indignantly.

"Mmmhmmm? So... What are you gonna do?"

"Jump on a camel and ride all the way to Egypt to avoid getting on the bad side of the doctor."

"...That's actually a good plan." Gray said, and we both cracked up.

I grabbed my coat and headed for the door. "I guess we should probably go apologize to him."

Gray's POV

We walked down the street admiring the flowers lining the road. We came into the inn to see the doctor looking around wildly from a seat. Surprisingly, he wasn't wearing his usual white coat. He was wearing a T-shirt that made his arms look tiny. He appeared relieved to see Claire, but anger flashed across his face when he saw me.

"I've been waiting for over two hours!" He exclaimed, looking at me, as if it was all my fault.

"Sorry Tim... I slept in a bit late because of this sound maker thing." Claire and I gave each other a look and smiled, causing the doctor to look between us suspiciously.

"Well, we might as well eat now..." I said, pulling out a chair for Claire, earning myself a smile from her, and a frustrated look from the doctor. I sat down beside her and I saw Tim's eyes flash. He clearly had hoped to have Claire beside him.

Ann came up behind us with a pen and paper. "Your orders?" She chirped innocently.

"Cliff must be nearby..." I muttered under my breath.

"Sorry?" Ann kept being nice, which confused me. She always took advantage of any chance to torture me, so why wasn't she embarrassing me in front of Claire? "Oh, and by the way Gray, I need to talk to you after you finish your meal."

I swallowed nervously. "I would like a plate of spaghetti bolognese and a root beer. Claire?" I said.

"I would like spaghetti bolognese as well with a fanta" She smiled at Ann, with a bit of curiosity... probably as to why Ann wanted to see me.

"I'll take a ceasar salad, a steak, and a coke please." Doctor ordered, and Claire wrinkled her nose. She doesn't really like coke.

"I'll be right back" Claire said, and walked over to the bathroom.

Doctor turned to me and glared. "You better not ruin this for me... I only agreed you could come so that Claire would be happy."

My eyebrows rose up. I didn't know the finer details as to why I was invited. "I'm not sure if I should promise anything." I smirked.

Doctor looked away, and appeared to be deep in thought. He only looked at me again once our drinks were there, a look of confusion all over his stupid face. "I just thought of something..."

"A miracle!" I smiled, raising my hands up to the ceiling.

Tim rolled his eyes disapprovingly. "Very funny. Where do you sleep at Claire's house?"

My face turned a red with embarrassment, but I felt a mysterious bit of pride in how good friends Claire and I were. "Well, I was originally going to sleep on the couch... but Claire thought it would be okay if we shared her big bed." I said truthfully, trying not to sound like I was boasting. If Manna found out, it would be "scandalous" in her view. I wouldn't take advantage of Claire though, so it would be nothing to worry about.

"You WHAT?!?!" The doctor exploded. Claire came out of the bathroom at that opportune moment.

"I thought I heard some loud voices" She glanced nervously between us.

"Tim was merely amazed by my intense knowledge of almost everything." I grinned. Doctor didn't want to argue with me in front of Claire, so he just settled for rolling his eyes. Claire laughed.

"There's our food!" I noticed Ann weaving her way through the tables with three plates expertly held in her hands.

We gobbled it all up, exchanging small talk in between. As doctor and I got out money for the bill, I felt a hand tap my shoulder.

"Gray?" Ann gestured to the back room, where Dad was probably cooking. She took the money, and I followed, sensing my doom coming closer...

Ann closed the door and turned to me. There were tears in her eyes. Suddenly she threw herself at me, sobbing into my shoulder. To say the least, I was shocked. Ann almost never cried. Even though she was my little sister, she was always the one to make me cry by ridiculing me in front of friends, or hurting me physically with pots and pans.

"Cliff doesn't like me." She cried. "All this time, and he doesn't like me. He likes Popuri." I patted her shoulder awkwardly.

"Don't cry Ann... It's just one boy. You'll find someone else."

"Yeah, cause this place is just FILLED with great guys." She muttered sarcastically.

"Hey, if he ends up with Popuri, you can have Kai!" I teased.

"Ooooh lucky me." She rolled her eyes, but she seemed to be cheering up a bit.

"That isn't the only thing I wanted to talk about though Gray... I'm sorry for all the times I've been mean to you, or embarrassed you in front of Claire. I promise I won't do it for a while."

"Pshht, why would I care about that?"

Ann looked at me disbelievingly. "Don't be stupid Gray." I opened my mouth to protest, but closed it when she continued. "You like her, so just stop telling yourself you don't. I spend a lot of time with Claire, and I think she might like you. She won't admit it, cause she is as stubborn as you, but I think she does. And I want you to be happy, unlike me, so I'm going to make sure you start trying to woo her. Before the doctor does."

I sighed. "Fiiiiiine." I hugged Ann and grinned. "My wittle baby sister..."

She glared. "Don't make me break my promise. But in the meanwhile, would you please stop scampering around like a terrified puppy? Be a man!"

I grumbled and half slammed the door on her. As I walked back to where Claire and Tim were seated, I noticed that they seemed to be unhappy with each other.

"Can we go?" Claire asked.

"Okay...?" She tugged on my arm and led me out of the restaurant.

Claire's POV

"Okay...?" I grabbed his arm and dragged him out the door.

"You alright?" He asked me, worry written in his cerulean eyes.

"Mmmhm. But that jerk is telling me how to live my life." I glared at the ground.

"What did he say?" He questionned.

"Said he knew about the fact that we slept in the same bed. Said that it wasn't right, and that you would take advantage of it." We reached the house, and we both walked in and sat down on the blue leather couch.

"And?"

"I told him he was wrong. That we were the bestest friends, and that you would never touch me, if it was against my wishes." I looked at him, and saw that he was smiling.

"Thanks Claire. And you're right, if you didn't want me within a meter of you for the rest of your life, I would respect that. Don't know why you would ask that, but whatever." We both laughed.

He was such a great guy. Suddenly I felt the urge to kiss the blacksmith that had been my friend for so long, and stood by my side no matter what... so I did. And it was magical.

*****

_**:O :O :O hehe, even I wasn't expecting that ending :P Review please! :D**_


	7. K I S S I N G

**Whoa. Has. It. Really. Been. SEVEN. FREAKING. MONTHS?**

**Ok, you guys probably do not want to hear all my pitiful excuses, but if you do, just let me know and I'll explain xP**

**So just a big SORRY to everyone that has been waiting this long. I've already got parts of the next chapter in my head, so hopefully that won't take too long to write! I still need to finish Mary's Quest, but that one doesn't inspire me too much :/ And there's another SURPRISE story that flashes through my head at least once a week.**

**It's kinda of an angsty chapter, but there are happy parts!**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MY REVIEWERS! Without you I would suck. And take even longer to update. :P haha.**

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**Green-Chrystall: Yeah, I hadn't thought of it before either… But I don't know, it just… fits! :P**

**shiro-chan x bed-wetter-momo: Well… neither did I xD It just kind of happened as I was writing it. My original plan for this story has taken a huge 180 spin!**

**Shimmerleaf: I don't blame you. At all. . I actually forgot my story myself, and had to read the last chapter again to know what the heck to write xD**

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**DISCLAIMER: Don't own the characters or location or blahblahblah but I DO own the plot :P**

**Here's a longggg chapter for you! :D**

Claire's POV

As our lips collided, I felt a shiver down my spine. I gladly noticed that Gray's lips were moving against mine, and his hands slipped into my hair. It was amazing.

But suddenly, I roughly pushed him away. Something inside me had broken. I didn't know whether Gray was crush or friend anymore. I had foolishly stumbled across that line, and muddled things up.

We sat there awkwardly for a few minutes. "Well… uh… I'm just gonna go fishing for a little bit," Gray glanced at the clock which read 5 p.m. "I'll be back before nine."

He half walked/ran out of the house. As soon as the former blacksmith left, I dropped my face into my hands. "Freaking IDIOT!" I swore at myself.

I stood up and rummaged around the kitchen for what to cook for supper, all the while thinking deeply. Why the HELL had I just kissed my best friend? He probably thinks I'm a slut now… a girl who just randomly goes around kissing her friends, and does who knows what else. But he kissed me back. Did that mean he liked me? Did I even like him?

I screamed in frustration and sank down to the floor, sobbing at my confusion. Why did I do this to myself? I walked to the bed and stared across at the mirror. My blond hair looked like a messy hay stack from my run through town, Gray holding it, and my tears messing it up. My nose and eyes, red.

"Goddess, I look like a mess." I said, and promptly went to the bathroom to clean myself up, all the while trying to figure myself out.

As I stepped out of the shower and towel-dried my hair I decided that I would wait and see how he reacted to me. I wondered if he had been going through the same trouble. And I had caused it all.

I quickly cooked up some rice, pork chops and corn before Gray came in.

Gray's POV

I hurried out of the house, only just remembering the fishing rod in my rush.

When I threw the bait into the water, I suddenly realized my big mistake: my failure to talk. It had been the moment I was waiting for, and it had been absolutely wonderful. And then after, there had been that awkward silence. The one I should have broken. We could be kissing again right now if I had been more of a man!

But then again, she had pushed me away. Was she testing me or something? To see how I'd react? So many stupid questions crossed my mind. Maybe she just did it by accident. She fell forwards, and uh, my lips just happened to be there.

"Idiot…" Devil Gray muttered from my left shoulder, shaking his head. He rubbed temples and looked at me like I was the stupidest being on earth.

"Leave him alone, he's just trying to figure things out!" Angel Gray reprimanded him from his right.

In a poof they were gone, leaving me wondering why they were both wearing dresses. I hadn't paid attention before. My devil and angel people were men, right?

Just then, from the forest path or the hot springs, I faintly heard my sister laughing along with a deep voice that sounded like Kai's. Or Zack's. But I sincerely hoped it was Kai's. The thought of the burly shipper and my sister dating disturbed me to no end. I shuddered at the thought.

Ann's POV

After Gray had slammed the door on me, I suddenly felt alone again. I wanted to go to the beach to clear my head.

"Dad?" I approached my father, who was cooking a steak at the time. Goddess, it smelled good. My stomach moaned in agreement. But I couldn't stay here a moment longer, even though I was starving. "Can I take a break and go to the beach for the rest of the afternoon?"

"Well…" He appeared deep in thought. "I guess I could take care of the bar. But just for this one night, okay?"

"Thanks Dad!" I hugged him, which by the look of utter confusion on his face as to what had just happened, you could tell I didn't do very often.

I walked out of the inn and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Claire tugging Gray along the street, running. I smirked, wondering where they were off to in such a rush.

As soon as I was out of sight of everyone in the inn, I made a run for it, only stopping when I had reached the shore. I sat down on the pier, and tugged the ponytail out of my hair, letting my curly red hair ripple around my face. The memories of this morning came rushing back towards me, and I cried. I looked at myself in the reflection in the water. Was I ugly or something? I sobbed harder.

"Ann?" A deep voice said from behind me. I wiped my tears as fast as I could before turning around at break-neck speed. Thank the goddess I had taken my braid out, or it would have wacked me hard in the face. Through my wet eyelashes I saw the tanned shopkeeper nearing me. He bent down beside me and brushed away a few tears I had missed. "Are you alright?" Kai frowned.

"I'm… fine. I'll live. It's just. _Cliff_." And with his name, I burst into tears again. Kai pulled me close and I cried into his shoulder. "He likes someone else…"

"Shhhh, it's gonna be ok…" He patted my back. I suddenly realized how awkward and unusual this was with me for one, crying, and number two, I was crying_ in his shoulder._ Embarrassed, I gently pushed off.

"S-sorry" I muttered, brushing my tears off with my shirt.

"Hey, don't worry 'bout it. It's ok." He grinned. "By the way, you look good with your hair down."

I blushed at his random comment. "Thanks." Just then, my stomach let out a gigantic growl. We both couldn't help but laugh.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up and I'll get you some food." He laughed, helping me up. Kai showed me to the bathroom.

I dabbed at my eyes with some toilet paper, to get rid of the wetness, and blew my nose, laughing quietly at how much it sounded like an elephant.

"That's better!" Kai smiled as I came back out. He handed me a plate with a grilled cheese sandwhich. "Eat up, then we'll go for a walk in the forest, and I'm going to cheer you up."

We ate quickly and silently, not sure what to say to each other. I hadn't really gotten to know Kai that well. He had always been around Popuri, Claire, or Gray. But somehow, I felt comfortable around him. As if he was already my friend.

I helped him wash the dishes and then he led me out the door, each of us with an ice cream cone in hand, which we quickly finished.

"We're off on an adventure!" Kai proclaimed, pretending to be an explorer as we stepped into the forest. He ran ahead.

I quickly caught up with him, and we jogged a little bit longer. "Wanna toss something back and forth?" I asked. I had always been a sporty type of person, and I just loved throwing things. Destructively or non-destructively.

"Sure." He said enthusiastically before picking up a medium sized rock that wouldn't be too heavy. We continued walking as we threw it between us, me admiring his tan muscular arms flex as he tossed it back. He seemed to notice this and smirked knowingly, trying to show off. We mindlessly wandered by the hot springs. I spied Rick and Karen by the goddess pond first. They seemed to be deep in conversation, and didn't notice us.

Kai and I grinned at each other devilishly. Who doesn't enjoy a bit of humiliation? I held up three fingers, and counted down. 3…2…1… "RICK AND KAREN, SITTING IN A TREE! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" We yelled at the top of our lungs. They nearly fell into the pond in embarrassment. We dropped our rock and made a run for it, laughing insanely all the way.

"That was so much fun!" Kai breathed as we passed the Barley's farm.

We were pretty out of breath by the time we got back to the inn. "So you're leaving at the end of this summer?" I asked sadly.

"Well… I'm thinking I just might stay." He smiled, and with that he left, waving before going up the stairs to his room.

I noticed my dad out of the corner of my eye, but I didn't turn to look at him. He was probably frantically mouthing grand-children with a joyful look on his face.

Gray's POV

I swore when I reeled the fifth pair of boots that night. "Who the hell puts these things in here anyway! And who had this many boots? There are more boots in here than me in Karen's closet!" I shook my head disapprovingly. "And trust me, that's, a LOT." I added in a side-note to myself.

Glancing at my watch, I saw that it was nearly nine. I dumped the fish I had caught into the pond and sat down, thinking of what I should do about Claire.

"Well… If she doesn't mention it, neither will I." And with the most manly walk I could come up with, I walked into the house.

Claire glanced up before lowering her eyes to the stove again. "Here you go," she said curtly before placing a plate in front of me. I frowned at her formality and lack of conversation.

After a prolonged silence, the blonde finally spoke up. "How did the fishing go?"

"Fine. But someone has to stop throwing boots in there." Claire gagged on her pork chop, laughing hard. "If you ever need shoes, just ask me, I'll go fish some." I joked.

She smiled, but there was still some tension. As if there was a barrier between us.

That night when we both went to bed, I lay there for a while, thinking. Claire must have been awake too, because I didn't hear her gentle breathing that signaled she was asleep. Instead, I heard soft crying. _Am I really that bad of a kisser?_

Devil Gray appeared for only a second to roll his eyes at me, before disappearing.

And why the hell is he still wearing a freaking dress!

**Tadaaaaaaaaa! Done! Review please! And I'll get my butt working on the next chapter! Well. Not literally. O.o My butt does not normally write my chapters. . :P**

**Sorry if there are any spelling mistakes/typos or parts that don't make sense. I was just too excited to get this chapter out! **

**Thanks for reading! :D**


	8. Rare Turquoise Fish, Tricks, and Plans

**YES! I DID IT! I WROTE ANOTHER CHAPTER! **

**Haha, sorry I'm just so happy I managed to do it… I stayed up till 3 a.m. for you guys! :P**

**The first part is a little angsty… but it picks up! ;)**

**As always thank you SO MUCH to my reviewers! And another thank you to those who favourited and/or put my story on alerts.**

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**xo-emma-ox: Thanks! Your encouragement helped :D Thanks for sticking with me this far!**

**Yawa the blue fire: Haha, here's an update xD**

**I don't own Harvest Moon**

Claire's POV

I sighed and looked around the house. It needed cleaning… badly. As I picked up clothes, and other things, I noticed with disgust that there were spider webs in the corner. Ultimate nastiness.

Gray was out planting some pineapple seeds, so I was left to do it myself. After vacuuming as best as I could, I got my mop out and turned my radio on to my favourite station. I had always found cleaning so much less boring and easier when listening to music. I stiffened when a certain song came on.

_I catch myself staring at your face when you're not awake  
I just cant help it (no no)  
Just having you here lying next to me  
It's the little things that cause a storm inside of me _

I nearly glared at the radio for reminding me of Gray. I _had_ looked at his face while he was sleeping before.

And every time you're close I shiver.. shiver.. shiver  
Every time we kiss I shiver.. shiver.. shiver  
I gotta catch my breath.. breath  
So caught up that I forget.. forget  
Ever ytime you're close I shiver.. shiver.. shiver

I screeched in frustration as I remembered how I had shivered during that one fateful kiss. I leaped over to the blue radio, and changed the station before it continued to sink further into my soul. But the next song wasn't much better, if not worse… It started off okay. But the chorus made me want to cry.

_I'm__ lucky I'm in love with my best friend_

_Lucky to have been where we have been_

_Lucky to be coming home again_

_Ooh ooh ooh_

I turned the radio off, and finished cleaning in silence.

I stomped over to the hot springs with Jaina behind me and gazed at the waterfall. Was all that some sort of sign?

As I lay on the grass I tried to imagine Gray and I as a couple. Smiling, laughing, kissing… Surprisingly, it wasn't that hard to imagine. We smiled and laughed all the time anyways. And I had one kiss to imagine off of. As I let my imagination wander, I found myself imagining different scenes of us together, often involving him holding me.

"NO!" I suddenly sat up, gripping the grass ferociously. Jaina looked at me fearfully. I must have looked pretty insane. "He's… he's my best friend and if I wrecked that… I wouldn't be happy. If I did love him and he found out... It would be soooo awkward if he didn't like me. Because he lives with me. We _share_ a bed."

"But if he did love you back…" I heard a ringing voice say, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a hint of turquoise in the water.

"A TALKING TURQUOISE FISH? NO WAY!"

In the water, the turquoise thing became larger, and I thought I saw a face.

"OH MY GODDESS! IT'S A TALKING TURQUOISE FISH WITH A HUMAN FACE!" I exclaimed, completely delighted with my discovery.

In a blast of water, out of the pond came a beautiful lady wearing a sparkling turquoise dress matching her hair-colour, looking rather displeased by my assumptions.

"Oh my goddess, I'm so sorry!" I shrieked in apology.

"Goddess indeed." She humphed, before her face changed into a motherly smile.

"Wh-what…?"

"Claire… I am the Harvest Goddess"

**Gray's POV**

Once I had finished planting the pineapples, I trudged over into the town. I hadn't slept well and was upset because of yesterday so I was in a rather bad mood.

I passed by the chicken farm on my way to the beach and saw Popuri twirling in a bright white sundress. When she innocently asked me what I thought of her new sundress, I snapped at her.

"Why are you acting like such a jerk today?" She started crying and ran towards the inn. I considered going after her, but at the thought of enduring her chatter decided against it.

I walked faster, eager to get to Kai's without passing by anyone else. When I burst through the doors dramatically he looked up at me questioningly.

I sat down. "Claire and I kissed."

The tanned shopkeeper jumped up, whooping. "OOH LA LAAA, LOOKS LIKE GRAY IS IN LUUURRRVEEEE!"

I smiled sadly. "It was kind of random, we were just talking when she leaned in and kissed me… but then she pushed me away. And then we sat there in silence for a bit, until I couldn't stand it and went out fishing. When I came back things were really awkward. And I just don't know what to do. I've been thinking… I think I like her."

"Hmm. I knew you liked her" He winked, "Well, do you think she likes you too?"

"Uh. On one hand she kissed me, but on the other, she also pushed me away."

"Huh. Are you really _that bad_ of a kisser?" Kai shook his head.

"Oh my Goddess! That's what I was thinking!"

My own friend, my own great friend smacked me on the back of my head. "Goddess, Gray! You are such an idiot! I was just kidding. I _know_ you're a good kisser." He grinned confidently.

"Excuse me! I'm not an idiot! Wait… how the hell… how the hell would _you_ know?" I panicked, "Were we drunk and it was a dare? Did you kiss me in my sleep? _I want to freaking know how you know I am a good kisser!_"

Kai sighed and put his head in his hands. "I did NOT damn well kiss you Gray. I just know because when you kissed Mary back when you were dating, before she met Chase, and you met Claire, she was absolutely smitten and went on and on about what a great kisser you were... Were you kissing Claire back?"

"Once I got over the shock, yeah."

"Did she stop right after you started?"

"…No…"

A smile spread across Kai's face. "Well then, it must have been something else."

"But whatever it was, now it's all awkward between us. I hate it. I want to either be with her or best friends…"

"Life is tough…" He shook his head sadly, probably trying to imitate someone in a movie. "But why don't you get her some flowers. And like make a joke out of it so it seems like you meant it, but at the same time non-committal so if she doesn't want it she doesn't feel pressured. Okay?" Kai grinned at his master-mind plan.

I sighed. "There's not much else to do… Speaking of doing stuff… where you with Ann yesterday? I heard a deep voice along with hers and I was hoping, _hoping _it was you and not Zack"

"Ah, right. Yeah we were just going for a walk…"

"Hmm, does Kai have an ooh la laaaa for my sister?" I teased. Kai ignored me. "…You're no fun." I stuck my tongue out at him and headed home.

**Popuri's POV**

When I woke up in the morning I was as happy as I could be. I quickly dressed in my new white sundress and excitedly jumped outside. I did my chores, careful not to get dirt on my dress. Once done everything, I went outside and twirled in the sun. It was so fun and freeing!

After a while, Gray, the used-to-be-grouchy blacksmith was walking by. Ever since he had became friends with Claire he was so much nicer and fun to be around.

I spun some more before skipping over to him. "What do you think of my new sundress? Isn't it pretty?"

"It's just a stupid dress." He snapped. I was hurt. Gray hadn't been mean to me for a while.

"Why are you acting like such a jerk today?" I cried, and started running north, sobbing. That stupid redhead had just ruined my day.

Just as I was rounding the corner at the blacksmith's I ran into something solid.

"Ouh." A male voice groaned as I impacted into him.

"Oh my goddess, I'm so sorry!" I looked up to see Cliff's worried eyes staring intensely into mine.

"What happened Popuri?" He asked.

"Gray was being mean…"

The wine-maker pulled me to him, "There, there, he probably didn't mean to. Gray might of just had a bad day."

I was about to agree when my embarrassment of a brother shouted over to us. "Oy! What do you think you're doing with my sister? Public affection is not appropriate, Cliff. I don't want everyone to think my sister is a slut or something."

"Rick, you idiot!" I roared at his bespectacled face. "You can't get off of Karen and you call _me_ the slut?"

My brother's face turned red with both embarrassment and anger. He was about to snap back at me when Cliff saved me from certain death. "Whoa, Rick, is that a chicken on the loose?" He pointed at a white plastic bag that was blowing across the sidewalk near the farm. It was so obvious that it wasn't a chicken. But Rick's vision is so bad anyway that he could have thought it was a cow.

"Oh no, Clucky, don't run away again!" He dashed towards it.

Cliff and I laughed insanely and ran off before he could realise his mistake and come after us.

I'm sure the whole town heard him when he bellowed. "DAMMIT CLIFF! YOU'RE EVEN WORSE THAN KAI!"

**Cliff's POV**

I was completely out of breath in the inn, from laughing so hard and the running off of pure adrenaline rush.

Popuri high-fived me, and it sunk in. We had just OWNED Rick. I couldn't help but feel bad for what I did to Rick. But hey, I was with the girl I loved, and we were having fun.

"Wanna grab something to eat?" I offered, pulling out my wallet.

"Oh that would be sooo nice!" Popuri chirped, pink eyes alight.

We ate, joking happily in between. But I couldn't help but notice the hurt in Ann's eyes when she served us. I was unable to help her though. I prayed she would find someone soon that would love her back strongly.

Popuri distracted me by telling me a few stories from when she was little. I learned a lot about her, and I even opened up a bit about my own past.

I'll have to go thank Gray later for being such a jerk.

**Kai's POV**

Not long after Gray had left, Ann came in. I was glad to see her hair was down again. But she looked a tad upset.

"Cliff again?" I questioned.

"He's at the inn right now… with Popuri… the girl he actually likes." She said bitterly.

"…Popuri?" I expected to feel hurt. If it had been a few days ago, I would have been extremely angry and sad but I surprised myself by being somewhat indifferent.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I forgot you were…"

"No, no. It's fine. We're not really that close. It was kind of falling apart." Ann was still looking dejected. "…D'you need a hug?" I asked gently.

She looked like she was about to say no before nodding and embracing me. I was surprised. I hadn't really known Ann. From what you heard of her, she seemed insane and destructive. Which I guess she was… But there was another side of her that I had discovered. A side of her that cared about what others thought, and that needed loving.

"Can we go swimming tomorrow?" The bartender girl suddenly said.

It caught me off-guard. "Oh, yeah sure. You can come over at noon and we'll eat here."

"Awesome!" She cheered up. "And I was thinking after we could try to get Elli and Doctor together. I think they'd make a good couple. And Doc needs to leave Claire alone." Ann laughed, "I'd love to scheme with you!" She winked.

I grinned. "Great! Speaking of Claire, have you talked to her today?"

"Um. No…why?"

"No reason." Ann continued to look at me suspiciously, clearly not believing that it was nothing.

"Well, I've got to go back before dad freaks out. See ya." She waved.

**Ann's POV**

I walked back to the inn cheerfully. It was gonna be so much fun tomorrow! I had to double check with my dad first though.

I poked my head into the cooking room. "Hey Dad, can I go to the beach with Kai tomorrow at noon? Ok? Yeah? Thanks. Bye!" I said quickly and tried to escape before he said anything.

"HALT!" He called. I looked back in to see him with his and on his hips. "I'd like to know what's going on between you and the sexy tanned shopkeeper."

"S-sexy? Dad! Have you gone…gay? For younger men?" I gasped, horrified.

"Heck, no Ann!" Dad shook his head. "I'm just trying to be hip and modern."

I groaned. "That's nice Dad, bye." I left before he could say another word.

**Claire's POV**

"You're…the Harvest Goddess?"

"No, I am a rare turquoise fish with a human face. Come collect me and sell me."

"REALLY?"

"No. Of course I'm the Harvest Goddess!"

"Damn." The lady laughed good naturedly at my disappointment.

"Claire?"

"Yes?"

"Be true to yourself and your feelings. Remember that. And I recommend you watch channel 2 on TV in exactly 15 minutes. Bye now!" There was a flash of bright light, a splash, and the kind goddess was gone. And I was utterly confused to what had just happened. A goddess/fish/whatever had just appeared, gave me advice and told me to watch TV… Meh, I havn't watched a show in a while. I guess I could take a break…

I got home before the 15 minutes were up. I switched the TV on to channel 2. It was some boring documentary about a day in the life of a sloth. The narrator spoke in a deep voice.

"The sloth is now sleeping. Here, we can see it sleeping. It has fallen into a deep sleep. OH! OH! Movement! Oh no, wait. That was just the wind. It is still sleeping. And I still hate my job." There were muffled sounds in the background. Was the narrator… crying? Then again, I didn't blame him.

I glanced at my watch. There was one minute left, but this show didn't look anywhere near over. When the hands turned to 3:00 p.m. the show suddenly changed. There was a woman on the screen. She looked very close to the goddess I had met at the pond, but she was wearing normal clothes nad looked more human.

"Why hello! Here is a short lesson on love. Be yourself, no matter what. Also, no love is wrong. You can't help it! It's human nature. If anyone finds your love stupid, and does not return it, then they are not worth your time. Be true to yourself and your feelings." The words felt like a warm hug on a horrible wintry day. And then enchanting music came on and further soothed me. Soon enough, I fell into a deep sleep curled up on my couch, feeling an awful lot like those sloths on TV.

**Gray's POV**

I went through the forest on the way home and picked a few flowers. I pretended to be astride a horse as I passed through the doorway making hoof sounds with my tongue.

To my surprise, Claire was asleep on the couch. I frowned. She must have had a bad sleep too.

I must say I honestly _tried_ to make dinner. But who knew that the sauce could burn if you put it in the microwave too long, and all the noodles would stick to the bottom of the pan if you didn't stir. You'd think I'd know something about cooking after living in an inn. I scraped the noodles out of the bottom of the pan and cooked up more sauce which I watched very closely this time. To my delight it did not burn. However, we would still need sharp knives to cut through the glomp of pasta. I put a sprig of parsley on top, as if it could make everything so much better.

The blonde farmer was still asleep. I gently tapped her shoulder and said in a firm but joking voice, "You missed my horse impersonation."

Despite the fact that she had just woken up, Claire burst out laughing. "Your…horse…impersonation?" She guffawed.

I made the hoof sound and galloped around some more, swept up the flowers and presented them to her. "Some flowers for you, milady."

"Thank you my liege." She sat up and half-bowed before accepting them.

I was pleased that the awkwardness seemed to be gone. "I made supper…"

"Really?" She looked over at the table, "Oh my goddess, thank you Gray! Ooh look at the parsley! It looks so gourmet!"

"Yeah… Trust me, it only _looks_ gourmet." Which Claire soon discovered when she stuck her fork in her pasta and couldn't get it out.

We had a great deal of fun trying to eat our meal. And when we went to bed that night I was so glad that after one dramatic day, things were back to normal.

**Yay! It's done! **

**I want to give a BIG thanks to my friend Egon who came up with the "A day in the life of a sloth" narrating! Isn't it great? :D**

**The songs in here are: "Shiver" By Shawn Desman and "Lucky" By Jason Mraz**

**At that one line in this chapter, I didn't mean to cause offence to anyone who is gay.**

**Well, this must be my longest chapter ever! I hope you guys like it!**

**Review please, and let me know what you thought: What you liked, what you didn't like, what you thought I should improve, etc! I'm wide open :P**

**Thanks for reading!**


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